What is the future now for EL?

[Soper]

Yeah, I know what you're saying.I'm sure other fans have suggested it already though...also, I believe we are putting in a new section in the middle of the stand that faces our 'good' one, so I envisage that there will be a gantry there, and not before time.

[lofty9]

I was chatting to a good friend of Delaney's through work. He told me that Delaney's main goal is to improve the stature of the eircom league and that by doing so his own profile will be enhanced if he can do it. Apparently he is going all out to raise the profile of the game here and raise the bar. Typical PR blah blah, but that got me thinking..

Looking after number 1 is his priority in all this, but if he achieves what I've been told he believes he can, then he can look after himself with my best wishes. The benefits for him in successfully helping improve the game here will be noticed everywhere and will have a knock on effect on youth development and maybe future internationals. I know this has been said before but it's the first time that someone within the FAI has grasped the nettle and realises that we have an untapped resource and product that just needs to be manipulated in some way. The FAI apparently want the marketing angle to slant towards a 'patriotic league' of some description too.

[paul_oshea]

The FAI apparently want the marketing angle to slant towards a 'patriotic league' of some description too.

A la the gaa all-ireland championship, i think this is a brilliant idea.

[neutrino]

You dont need to own the club to make a suggestion. When our previous incompetents were ruining the club the fans paid for the games to be covered. Find out how much it would be to put up a gantry and say to the club the fans will pay half if they do. Just an idea.

KOH

for all the good work the people at sligo rovers do, unfortunately listening isnt one of them. it's all been suggested before - gantries etc. the board keep harping on about the 'new' stand. well not new anymore and should be the focal point of all tv highlights. everything has been suggested including getting the 'new' stand sponsored by a decent sponsor and use some of the money to build gantry over the opposite stand. thus the sponsor get's exposure every week on the highlights. nothing has been done about it. i think the club are waiting to knock the jinks stand and rebuilding it with the gantry. sure that's long time away.

it's the very simple things that can make a big difference. the handycam reality tv view is embarrassing.

[Martinho II]

Playing wise it probably wasn't the best, but for the future of the club I think it's been hugely positive as after a couple of years of starting, we're really getting financial realism and sustainability at the club.

There are a lot of positives to the close season, but the continued inaction of the FAI in terms of promotion of the league and licencing, particularly with regard to shels, really frustrates me. They have failed to kill the shels story, and so it continues to rumble on doing harm.

it has being a depressing season for us but we are finally sorting out our long term debts through the ltfc supporters trust- we have nearly 100 members on board and one of our foot.ie contingent xlex is on the board for the trust! plus as well there are new faces on the exectutive commitee!

we might have a crap season coming up but we have to cut our cloth and hopefully things will work out for us finanically over next couple of years and rebuild the club!

[Longfordian]

That's the spirit Martin! If we stay pretty clear of injuries and suspensions etc. we may not do all that badly. Won't be contending for anything mind you. Hopefully a couple of new faces will be coming in shortly to give us a bit of lift

[Dodge]

Good to hear Longford fans

[Dr.Nightdub]

So that's Longford copping themselves on financially, we've done the same, Bohs as well, UCD have been doing it for years and the fan-run Rovers seem almost militant about the concept.

I think Cork are possibly the best example of the lot - having won the League and had another good European run, it would've been easy for them to see themselves on the verge of a breakthrough and throw money at it in order to make the leap. But instead, they've taken on board the fact that accepting worthwhile offers for players can buy a lot of sustainable progress.

I know the two situations are very very different (but could've been more similar if Cork were run by an Ollie-type chairman) - Shels had to grab with pathetic gratitude the €100k Cardiff put up for Jason Byrne, Cork are willing to wave away five times that for O'Donovan on the basis that they can get more for him.

Having got the attitudes in place, the next step is to get the infrastructure in place as regards a conveyor of future talent and that's where no-one seems to have really grasped the nettle in terms of youth development, academies, etc. That's got to be viewed as an investment rather than a cost but no-one seems prepared to make that particular leap just yet - everyone (and I include Pats in this) views progress as being achieved through transfers of established players.